No one likes to travel more than St. Joseph’s Todd Hitt.
But, like many Americans, his travel plans have been changed and moved over the last two months and travel into the summer months is questionable.
As owner of Inspiration Destination Travel, though, Hitt witnessed firsthand how the COVID-19 pandemic turned the hospitality industry upside down.
“We had people that were gone (on Spring Break),” Hitt said.
“We had heard that flights might be canceled; even getting people back, so it was a quick endeavor to make the notifications to them and get them back as soon as possible, so they didn’t get caught wherever they were at. That was a huge issue.”
Hitt and his team then went to work getting reservations for April and May refunded or rescheduled.
“What a total mess the travel industry got thrown into,” Hitt said. “Unprecedented, of course, for everybody in this world, but especially in the travel business. When you’re dealing with resorts overseas in the Caribbean and canceling rooms, canceling flights, refunds and luggage refunds, there’s just so many things that if you weren’t using a travel advisor, you would be on the hook to try to get all of that done yourself.”
Of course, travel advisors aren’t trained for a pandemic, though. Hitt said he and his team, which includes his brother, Terry, and daughter, Jesse, have been learning a lot as they continue to work with clients.
“That’s when our work is very beneficial,” he said. “Just like every travel advisor that has clients, we’ve been on the phone for days and days and days to try and advocate for them to get their money back, to get their deposits back for their insurance, so it’s it’s been a very stressful time for travel agencies, but, you know, that’s okay.
“Inspiration destination travel has the time to spend on it, which is nice. We all have other endeavors that we do as well but we just sort of go back to this is what we like to do and we take care of business.”
At this time, travel outside the United States is pretty much non-existent.
“We’re looking at June and July, mid-August, and even later for a lot of the Caribbean resorts to open back up,” he said.
Although travelers like Hitt are disappointed that they can’t travel outside of the United States right now, he knows that the impact of restricted travel go far beyond not being able to sit on a beach.
Hitt had become friends with a family in Jamaica which is now out of work because resorts are closed.
“Poverty is is an issue right now,” he said.
Trips that were planned for some summer months are being rebooked for September, October or November, and in some instances even into 2021.
Rebookings, instead of cancellations can sometimes lead to perks on the other end, too.
“There’s a lot of good things happening, but everybody’s got to be patient,” he said.
While travelers are waiting for sand to flow between their toes, Hitt said that exploring what you can here in Illinois may be a good way to relax and get some fresh air. On May 1, several Illinois State Parks opened, while regional and local parks also have open spaces for families to gather.
Hitt said as long as family units are staying together, there should be a low-risk of COVID-19 transmission, but being aware of touching surfaces and having a mask on hand if it is not possible to be 6-feet apart would be best practice.
“It’s a perfect time to do (go out to parks and on the trails),” Hitt said.
The team at Inspiration Destination Travel loves to see photos of their family, friends and clients venturing out into the world. In fact, when they can’t be at their favorite resorts, they claim to live vicariously through their clients.
Hitt’s family has always enjoyed time on the beach, whether it was in Florida or Jamaica. It wasn’t until he met a man from the Quad Cities while in Jamaica that Hitt even considered adding travel to his resume.
“I just happened to be in the pool at the right time in the right place at the right a minute,” he said.
The successful agent explained to Hitt how he and his wife had managed a successful travel agency for 25 years.
“It just seemed like this perfect opportunity,” he said. “We made friends with them, and they said, ‘Hey, we’ll take you under our wing, we’ll teach you the business; you open up your own own shop there in the Champaign area. They have probably 15 different agents across Illinois and Iowa and even some on the east coast. They’re not a big box travel agency, they’re really a small town.”
The Hitt team, drawn from different backgrounds and perspectives, believes that they can provide their clients with the personal attention needed to book a relaxing vacation.
“If one of us happens to be busy doing something when some of our guests need something the other one can pitch in and take care of it,” he said. “So it’s sort of a personal attention and personal pride to make sure that we take care of people.
“Of course, communication is key when it comes to travel arrangements.
“It’s important that somebody is available basically 24/7 that can handle that personally. We’ve really tried to provide that over the last three years.”
Through that line of communication, Hitt has been able to see more of the world than he ever imagined.
“This world is so amazing,” he said. “There’s so many different corners, including even just in the United States here.
“But we mainly focus on the tropics and the Caribbean and the warm sand beaches, the warm water, the clear water, the Tiki bars and all of that. That’s sort of where our love is, so we’re in it all the time, at least virtually. That is good and bad because it makes me want to go all the time.:
While the Inspiration Destination Travel team can provide insight on trips to Germany, for example, they also pride themselves on being able to give firsthand accounts of what it like at a resort.
“We have our own personal pictures and read and resort reviews,” Hitt said. “We stand by that we’re not going to send anybody places that it’s not a good fit for them.”
Hitt said some of that work and that thought can begin now as people begin to consider what their next trip might look like.
“We don’t want them to stress anything about their arrangements,” he said. “We want them to focus on them while they’re there, so we hold their hand from the word go. We always say we’re going to be with you 24/7.
“I advocate for all travel advisors if you’re traveling. Find a travel advisor, they’re on your team. You’re not paying them any extra, you’re probably getting a little less, but you have a personal touch.”
